Next Biosciences’ donation to CHOC

Next Biosciences’ donation to CHOC

On Monday 18th April 2016, CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation received a generous donation from Gynaecologists in private practice.

The donation of R70 613,80 was made possible by generous Gynaecologists who chose to donate their collection procedural fees for Netcells umbilical cord stem cell banking to charity.

The cheque was handed over by Dr Michelle Mason, Next Biosciences’ Medical Officer and Catherine Brazier, Next Biosciences’ Chief Communications Officer, on behalf of the doctors.

The funds will be directed towards a number of projects and initiatives which CHOC are currently working on to contribute to the well-being of children with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders as well as their families.

Going forward the Gynaecologist’s procedural fee donations will be directed to the Netcells ‘Families of Hope’ CSI Programme – a new sibling cord blood donor programme giving potential future hope to disadvantaged families with children suffering from a disease treatable with stem cell transplants. Next Biosciences has committed to supporting one family for every 100 cord blood units that are privately banked. Gynaecologists who do cord blood collections for Next Biosciences are also given the opportunity to donate their procedural fees to the programme, if they wish, increasing the number of families that could benefit.

Next Biosciences will work closely with CHOC to ensure that any unutilised funds from procedural fees donated by obstetricians will be directed to CHOC, as the Netcells ‘Families of Hope’ programme’s goals are closely aligned to theirs: Keeping more than hope alive.